Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the 17-member Pakistan squad for the upcoming UAE tri-series and the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025.
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha will continue as captain of the national team. Senior stars like Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf have been included, while youngsters Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, and Hussain Talat also made the cut.
Other key names in the Pakistan cricket squad are Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.
UAE Tri-Series 2025 Schedule
The tri-nation series will feature Pakistan, Afghanistan, and UAE in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7, 2025.
Asia Cup 2025 in UAE
After the tri-series, the Asia Cup 2025 will be hosted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28. Teams including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Oman will join Pakistan in the tournament.
PCB’s Statement on Team Selection
Director High Performance Aqib Javed said that the squad is based on continuity and recent performances.
“This is the same group that has been playing well in T20Is. Our focus is to keep winning with consistency,” he said.
On the selection of Salman Mirza, Aqib highlighted his strong domestic and Bangladesh league performances. He also noted that Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub have shown great improvement.
When asked about the exclusion of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Aqib clarified:
“Babar and Rizwan are not out permanently. They still have a chance to return if they perform well. At the moment, we are giving opportunities to other players.”
He also mentioned that senior players could explore leagues like the Big Bash, but selection will always be based on performance.
Coach Mike Hesson on Babar Azam
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson praised Babar’s talent but urged improvement.
“Babar played well in the first match against West Indies, but we want him to work on certain areas. If he and Rizwan perform like others, they will definitely play T20Is again,” he said.
Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup 2025 & UAE Tri-Series
- Salman Ali Agha (Captain)
- Abrar Ahmed
- Faheem Ashraf
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Hasan Ali
- Hasan Nawaz
- Hussain Talat
- Khushdil Shah
- Mohammad Haris (Wicket-keeper)
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Mohammad Wasim Jr
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Mirza
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Sufyan Moqim
